Artistic and creative careers are among the most rewarding, but they also come with unique challenges. We asked some of the city’s best creatives to tell us why they choose to pursue a creative career.

Tabitha Candelaria

Ever since I was a child I was drawn to my creative side. I was constantly drawing, writing, altering my clothing… I ventured into many creative avenues throughout my childhood. I just knew that no matter what I did “when I grew up,” it had to be something creative. That’s where I thrive. That’s where I’m happy. Read More>>

Tim Drake

Because I make poor life decisions. All joking aside, there is nothing that brings me more joy than creating something and watching audiences enjoy it. I’ve worked other non-creative jobs in my life and I was miserable at them. I learned a lot from them, but it wasn’t for me. I realized early on that creating entertainment was the only thing that truly made me happy. It takes so much tireless, thankless work, that you often are not getting paid for when you start, but when you get to see people enjoy your work it makes it all worth it.  Read More>>

Amanda Armstrong

One of the main reasons for that I chose an artistic career was because of the variety involved in creating designs that are unique and personal. Each artist has their own technique and wondrous eye to look upon their individual designs. I think that is also why our clients keep coming back to us because they love what we do. We also recreate designs from other artists but each design is still unique and tailored to meet our clients specifications, ie color, theme, texture and form. Read More>>

Rosina Basi

Igniting Passion for Learning

Icky Sticky Fun, founded by Amy Ponce and Rosina Singh, is dedicated to inspiring young minds and fostering a lifelong passion for learning through playful, hands-on experiences. Our mission is to nurture creativity, curiosity, and cognitive development by engaging children in a variety of sensory-rich activities. We provide a safe, inclusive, and vibrant environment where playful encounters turn into opportunities for growth and discovery, preparing children to become the innovative thinkers and problem solvers of tomorrow. Read More>>

Rob Sheppard

I loved playing music from my first day of playing saxophone in the 5th grade. It was the first thing that I felt like I had a serious aptitude for, that sparked a deep curiosity within me and a drive to figure out how to play better today than I did yesterday. Getting to that “next level” became kind of an addictive feeling for me – with every new step, you only learn how much more there is to learn. Read More>>

 Lilli Keeve

I have always been a creative individual. It began when I started writing poetry and attending poetry classes at Beyond Baroque in Venice. I had an affinity for reading and writing from a young age, and developed a voice through my poems, and gained confidence from attending many acting classes. There was no question that a foundation in the arts was my sole passion, whether through writing, acting, photography, or helping out on film sets.  Read More>>

Dave Moore

It was my life….

I always had a passion for surfing and surfboards since a child. I did some work in High school for a surfboard Mfg. in Van Nuys during the 80’s doing ding repairs and other jobs. It was at that time I learned the process of surfboard building.
After City College in Santa Barbara, working on boats in San Diego I worked as sales rep and park builder in the snowboard industry first and then finally transitioned to sales rep in the wine business and action sports. Read More>>

Zimu Li

I pursued an artistic and creative career because I believe that music is the deepest sound of soul. From a very young age, I felt that music wasn’t just something I enjoyed, it was something I needed to express who I truly am. Through my music, I hope to touch lives, offering help and inspiration to those who need it most. Read More>>

Feba Alex

In many ways, it always felt like a distant dream—something intangible, maybe even out of reach. But the more I lean into who I truly am, the more I realize it may have been less about chance and more about a serendipitous collision of passion, opportunity, and the calling.

I earned my B.S. degree and spent a few years working in the life sciences, MedTech, and biotech industries. On paper, it all made sense—but in my soul, something felt off. I was out of alignment. Since childhood, I was always the creative one—the writer, the artist, the dreamer. My school projects were always over the top—elaborate and full of creativity. My parents spent a small fortune on daily runs to Michael’s just to keep up with my ideas. Maybe it was that deep-rooted longing to create that ultimately led me to where I am today. Read More>>

Ann Zhou

From a very young age, my parents always tried to take me to different classes like dance, speech & debate, math, piano, and science that would fill up my weekend time. I really only enjoyed dance and piano, and those are the ones that opened the gate of creative world for me. As a child, it was amazing to let myself dive into this freedom of expressing my feelings and communicating with my body and mind. I did not feel like I had to be like other kids, or fulfill whatever “goals” the society seemingly “sets” for our generation. Read More>>

Shirley Alvarez

I pursued an artistic career because it’s always felt like the only path that made sense for me. I’ve been drawing since I was about five or six, always enrolled in art or music classes, and constantly creating-whether it was designing costumes for school plays, customizing my own prom dress, or drawing just to process what I was feeling. Art has always been my way of expressing myself, especially when I couldn’t find the words to talk about things from my past. It was therapeutic, healing and empowering. Honestly, I never imagined doing anything else- I always knew I’d be creating in one form or another. Now, as a stay-at-home mom, I focus on digital art. Read More>>

Christina

From childhood, I’ve always identified as a creative individual. My dad played a significant role in nurturing this side of me, crafting costumes and outfits for special events when I was younger, a tradition he continues to this day. Seeing the joy his creative outlet brought him was truly inspiring. While I didn’t excel in other academic areas, anything that sparked my imagination always captivated me. Read More>>

 Rafi

Honestly, I’ve loved and felt compelled to make music for as long as I can remember. My parents got me a small drum set for my third birthday because I was always banging on items around the house. I sang and performed around the house and in my hometown constantly. I played in jazz, pop, and rock bands as a kid (both as a singer and drummer). Though I didn’t necessarily know what my career would be then, there was no doubt in my mind I wanted to work in music. Read More>>

Giselle Tongi

My journey into the artistic realm began early, immersed in the film and television industry of the Philippines as a commercial model, which naturally evolved into hosting and acting roles. This exposure ignited a passion, leading me to pursue formal theater training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute in New York City at 21. At 23, California became my adopted tahanan (home), where I’ve since rooted myself. Read More>>

Maëva Feitelson

I’m not really sure to be honest. I don’t think I made a choice. I love it. That’s all. It was natural for it to be a part of my professional life and I wasn’t sure in what capacity it was going to be, but I always studied music and grew up in a family of actors so I guess I just couldn’t see myself doing anything other than something creative. Read More>>

Giovanni Moran

I chose to pursue an artistic and creative career from a very young age. As a child, I was incredibly imaginative and constantly curious about the many layers of the world around me, both real and imagined. I had a naturally introspective personality, and art quickly became a refuge, a playground, and a voice when words sometimes fell short. Characters, themes, and storytelling were not just interests — they were tools for self-expression, self-discovery and emotional release. Read More>>